Clan MacLachlan
A Cowal clan whose homeland is Strathlachlan, facing across Loch Fyne from its eastern bank in Argyll. The chiefly title is MacLachlan of MacLachlan, with the barony of Strathlachlan.
History
The MacLachlans are rooted in Strathlachlan, part of the Cowal peninsula facing Loch Fyne from the east in Argyll. Their name goes back to Lachlan Mor, or Great Lachlan, a chieftain settled beside the loch in the 1200s. The glen and bay carry his name too. Family tradition links him to Irish royalty, specifically the O'Neills of Ulster, but that is a claimed descent rather than a proven pedigree, and we present it as tradition.
Documents begin to appear near the close of the same century. A charter of 1292 granted Strathlachlan, along Loch Fyne's eastern shore, to a man named Gilleskel Maclauchlan, and it was issued under John Balliol, King of Scots. That grant is the oldest written proof that the family held the land. A castle at the site is said to be named in a record of 1314, though the ruin visible now is a later building, largely of the fifteenth century, on a rocky point over Lachlan Bay.
Charles II raised the MacLachlan lands to a barony in 1680, which is the origin of the chiefs' title of Baron of Strathlachlan. The clan's loyalties were Jacobite. Men of the name are recorded at Killiecrankie in 1689 and again in the risings of 1715 and 1745, so the chiefly line stayed bound to the Stuart cause for well over half a century.
That loyalty was paid for at Culloden in April 1746. Lachlan MacLachlan, the seventeenth chief, commanded a regiment drawn from his own clansmen and the MacLeans, and a cannonball killed him as the line moved forward. Several accounts add that a warship shelled the old castle from Loch Fyne soon afterwards, though the particulars are uncertain. It is clear only that the fortress was deserted after the rising and never occupied again.
The family survived. Castle Lachlan, a new house, went up beside the old fortress and is still the chief's residence. In 1979 the Clan Maclachlan Society was founded, with the then chief, Marjorie MacLachlan of MacLachlan, among those who set it up, and it has since grown branches in Britain, North America and Australasia. The clan crest, a castle on a rock, together with the motto Fortis et Fidus, keeps the old fortress at the heart of the clan's identity.
Clan MacLachlan tartans
Names and reference numbers follow the Scottish Register of Tartans. Mills sell most setts in modern, ancient and weathered colourways. The pattern is the same; only the shades change.
MacLachlanClan tartan · Register ref. 2581The Register describes this as a colour variation of Black Watch, the version drawn by T. Smibert in 1850 and the one woven today. It notes three distinct MacLachlan setts and a longer history than its registration date suggests.
MacLachlan (Chief's Dress)Dress tartan · Register ref. 2585The pattern comes from the Vestiarium Scoticum of 1842, a book whose historical claims are doubtful. D. W. Stewart wrote in 1893 that it was in use by the then MacLachlan of MacLachlan, which is why it is often called the Chief's sett.
MacLachlan HuntingHunting tartan · Register ref. 2588Recorded in the Register in 2002 with no further details. The Register has tripled the thread count to show the sett clearly.
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “MacLachlan” — and say which colourway you want. “Modern” is dark and strong, “ancient” is lighter, “weathered” is muted. The sett is the same in each.
We are choosing retailers we trust and will list them here soon.
Wear the colours
Our own MacLachlan range is on its way: the name, the tartan and the motto on a heavyweight tee, a hoodie and a mug. About the shop.
Lands and seats
- Old Castle Lachlan. The roofless fifteenth-century stronghold on a headland at Lachlan Bay, left empty after Culloden.
- Castle Lachlan. A later castellated mansion put up close by, within sight of the ruin, which serves as the chief's home today.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- MacLachlan
- McLachlan
- MacLauchlan
- MacLaughlan
- MacLaghlan
- Lachlan
- Lauchlan
Names associated with Clan MacLachlan
- MacGilchrist
- Gilchrist
- MacGilchrist: Appears in clan-society lists of associated names. The name is also linked to other clans.
- Gilchrist: Appears in clan-society lists of associated names. The name is also linked to other clans.
“Associated” means the name appears in published sept lists for this clan. It does not prove descent, and many names are linked to more than one clan. Where your family lived is often the better clue.
Questions people ask
What is the MacLachlan tartan?
The main MacLachlan tartan is Register ref. 2581, a dark blue, green, black and red sett related to Black Watch. There is also a Chief's Dress sett in black and tan yellow, and a Hunting sett in green, blue and black.
What is the MacLachlan motto?
Fortis et Fidus, a Latin phrase meaning 'strong and faithful', is the motto. It is shown on the clan crest badge alongside a castle on a rock.
Where is Clan MacLachlan from?
The clan comes from Strathlachlan in Cowal, Argyll, on the eastern side of Loch Fyne. The ruined old castle overlooks Lachlan Bay, and the later Castle Lachlan stands close by as the chief's home.
Does Clan MacLachlan have a chief?
Yes. The chief holds the title Maclachlan of Maclachlan and Baron of Strathlachlan, and lives at Castle Lachlan.
Sources
- MacLachlan tartan (ref. 2581) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- MacLachlan (Chief's Dress) tartan (ref. 2585) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- MacLachlan Hunting tartan (ref. 2588) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- MacLachlan — COSCA - Council of Scottish Clans & Associations
- Clan Maclachlan — Old Castle Lachlan
- The Clan Chief — Castle Lachlan
- Clan symbolism — Castle Lachlan
- Old Castle Lachlan, Loch Fyne, Cowal — Britain Express
Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 29 September 2026.